Electrical dehydrator with free moving live electrode



Dec. 29, 1931. F. w. HARRIS 3 3 ELECTRICAL DEHYDRATER WITH FREE MOVING LIVE ELECTRODE Original Filed Aug. 5 192 IIIIIII izz 0] ob o o 0 00m Patented Dec. 29, 1931 umT osTAT-ss PATENT oFF c-s roan w. HARRIS, or nos ANGELES, camrormia, AssIenoR T rnrRoLE m sacrifi- 11m comrm or CALIFORNIAQOF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES, cenrronnran oonrona'rrou or ELEGTBICAL DEHYDRATOR WITH FREE MOVING LIVE ELECTRODE v j: Application filedAug'ust 3,1926, Serial N0.,126,834. Renewed October 13, 1931.

. vMy.inventionrelates tothe art of dehydratingioil and water emulsions and it is particularly applicable. to the dehydration of petroleum emulsions in which the water appears .in the form of small particles suspended in the oil. It has been found that these water particles are often so fine that they will not settle out of the oil it it is allowed to stand for a considerable length 19 of time. If, however, the emulsion is passed between electrodes charged with a suitable high electromotive force the water particles are agglomerated into larger masses which tend to, settle rapidly out of the oil. It has,

it however, been found that in many cases was ter, particles tend to collect'in the dehydrator after agglomeration in such a manner as to form conducting paths which short-circuit the electrodes and prevent further treat- 2o ment;

. It is an object of my invention to provide a dehydrator in which petroleum emulsions may be dehydrated and, in which any concentration of water at any one point is pre- E5 vented. In the typical form of electrical dehydrator, one of the terminals of the high tension transformer which supplies energy to the dehydrator is grounded to the tank which either forms the grounded electrode or is connected to grounded electrodes carried inside said tank. It has been found that by placing live electrodes inside the tank and rotating same that the formation of short-circuiting water masses ma be prevented and there are a considerab e number of patents showing live electrodes which are rotated by means of a suitable source of power placed outside the tank.

It is an object of my invention to provide an electrical dehydrator having a live electrode suspended in the tank which is free to rotate,"this live electrode being supported on friction reducing bearings so that it is free to turn and to-also provide means for rotating the masses of emulsion inside the treater in such a manner that the live electrode is carried around with the moving mass of emulsion. This movement of emulsion and the electrode tends to prevent the concentration of water masses at any particular point between the electrodes andfthus prevents the electrodes from being shortcircuited by such masses.

Further cbjects and made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through a dehydrator embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on a plane represented by the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section through the friction reducing means.

' Fig. 4'. is a section through the electrical contact-making means.

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, is a tank havihg a flat bottom 11 and a coned top 12. The top 12 is connected to a dome 13 havinga removable cover'14. Projecting outwardly from one side of the dome 13 is a cylindrical extension 15 into which an insulator 16 projects. This insulator has an opening through which a conductor 17 projects. The conductor 17 is connected at its outer end to one end of the secondary of a transformer 18, the other end of this secondary being connected through a wire 19 to the tank 10. The primary of the transformer18 is fed from any suitable source of alternating current, not shown. In practice I prefer to use a transformer which will provide a potential of from 11,000to 22,000 volts between the wires 17 and 19. Projecting upwardly inside the shell 10 and supported on the bottom 11 is a stationary grounded cylindrical electrode 20, this electrode being formed of sheet metal and perforated at 21 and 22. Suspended in a primary chamber between the tank 10 and the electrode is an outer live electrode 25 which is formed of metal wire screen and which is secured at its upper end to a cone 26. The cone 26 also carries an inner live electrode 27 which is also cylindrical in form and is formed of metal wire screen, this electrodeextending in a secondary chamber defined inside thegrounded electrode 20. The cone 26 is suspendedlfrom a rod 28 which is connected into a'fiange 29 to which a rod 30 is also connected as shown in Fig. 4. Resting advantages will .be

u on he top o e flang 9 whi h, s P f r? 9. 1y of brass or copper and a good ectrodes 25 and. 2 he rod ex nds up a dly inside a ca ing a an s se u ed to a flang .86 hich s s spended on bells from the casin 35., The purpose of the balls 37 is to p o ii a ir etie educing earin on which the entire live electrode structure is suppo t d so that t s t to r o Th 3,5 is suspended on a rod 38 which in turn s suspended on electrical insulators 39, secured to the cover 14.

The oil to be dehydrated is supplied through a pipe 40, havin a valve 41 to a pump 42, by means ct w ich it is pumped through a valve 43 and a nozzle 44 into the interior of the tank 10. The nozzle 44 is placed tangentially inside the tank as shown in Fig. 2, and is so directed as to force the oil into the tank tangentially, thus setting up a whirling motion in the fluld in the tank. Clean oil may be withdrawn from near the top of the tank by means of a pipe 50, and a portion of this oil may be carried downwardly through a pipe 51 and the valve 52 to the suction side of the pump 42 or it may be drained through a pipe 53 through a valve 56 to suitable storage, A vent 54 is provided in the top of the treater and a heating coil 55 may be provided in the bottom, if desired. Water or mud is withdrawn from the treater through a ipe 57.

The met 0d of operation of the invention is as follows:

The valve 52 being closed and the valve 41 being open, the pump 42 is started and the tank is filled with emulsion to ya point above the level of the pipe 50. The valve 41 may then be closed and the valve 52 may be opened so that oil is circulated from the top of the tank through the pipes 50 and 51 and through the pump 42 and the nozzle 44 back into the tank 1Q.' Due to the direction in which the nozzle 44 delivers Oil to the treater a rotation or whirling motion of the fluid in the treater set p, h p ed o hich may be gov; erned b h sp ed f the P p 2- e live electro cs 25 and 27, being formed of screen and bein a supported on the ball bearings 37 so that t ey will turn with very little fric tion, are carried by the movement of the fluid so that they rotate inside the tank 10 and about the grounded electrode 20. Current is now thrown on the transformer 18 and a potential is set up between the live electrodes 25 and 27 and the grounded electrode which consists of the interior surfacetof the tank 10 and the grounded electrode proper 20. A ,dehydrating action immediately takes place and a separation of the oil and water occurs,

te aeae the clean oil rising to the top of the tank and the water falling to the bottom. As soon as the upper portion of the tank'is filled with clean oil, it is possible toopen the valves 56 therefrom; means for injecting fluid into a.

mass of liquid in said tank in such a manner as to set up a movement of said liquid in said tank; and means for so su porting said electrode that it moves with t e movement of said mass of liquid.

2. In an electrical dehydrator, the combination of: a cylindrical tank; a cylindrical electrode situated inside said tank and electrically insulated therefrom; means-for injecting fluid into a mass of liquid in said tank in such a manner as to set up a movement of said liquid in said tank; and means for so supporting said electrode that it moves with said liquid.

3. In an electrical dehydrator, the combination of: a cylindrical tank; a cylindrical live electrode situated inside said tank and electrically insulated therefrom; a cylindrical grounded electrodeprojccting inside said live electrode; means for injecting fluid into a mass of liquid in said tank in such a manner as to set up a movement of said liquid in said tank; and means for so supporting said live electrode that it is free to move with said liquid.

4. In an electrical dehydrator, the combination of: a cylindrical tank; a cylindrical live electrode situated inside said tank and electrically insulated therefrom; a cylindrical grounded electrode projecting inside said live electrode; means for injecting fluid into a mass of liquid in said tank in such a manner as to set up a rotation of said liquid in said tank; and means for so supporting one of said electrodes that it is free to move with said liquid.

5. In an electric fluid treater, the combi nation of: a cylindrical tank; a rounded electrode disposed in said tank to r ivide the space therein into an annular primary chamber and a central secondary chamber; a live electrode having a central element extending into said central chamber and an outer element extending into said annular chamber; means for rotatably supporting said live electrode; means for injecting fluid into a mass of liquid in said annular chamber to set up a continuousmovement in said liquid,

the action of said moving liquid on said outer element causing said live electrode to rotate; and means for introducing a fluid to be treated into said annular chamber.

5 6. A treater as defined in claim 5 in which said live electrode elements comprise annular screens.

7. A treater as defined in claim 5 in which said live electrode elements comprise cylindrical screens, and said grounded electrode is cylindrical in shape.

8. A treater as defined in claim 5 in which said rounded electrode is perforated to permit fl uid to pass therethrough between said treating chambers.

9. A treater as defined in claim 5 in which said live electrode elements comprise annular screens, and in which said grounded electrode is perforated to permit fluid to pass 2 therethroughbetween said treating chambers.

10. In an electric treater, the combination of walls defining a space in which is positioned the emulsion to be treated; a rotatably mounted electrode in said space; means for rotating said electrode by moving the body of emulsion in said space; and means for establishing a difference in potential between said electrode and said walls.

11. A combination as defined in claim 10 in which said electrode is formed of screen.

12. In an electric treater, the combination of: a tank; a live electrode extending downward in said tank and cooperating therewith 3 in defining an annular treating space; means for introducing a fluid to be treated tangentially into said tank at a point below the lower end of said live electrode fluid drawoff means communicating with the upper end of said tank; and fluid draw-ofimeans communicating with the lower end of said tank.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of July, 1926, at Los Angeles, California.

FORD W. HARRIS. 

